Excellent Racing in the West

On April 15th, the Bristol folk repeated last year’s excellent club racing, for sports cars and “500’s,” at Lulsgate airfield, using a circuit of 2.07 miles. This may be the last meeting at Lulsgate, but two similar meetings are scheduled at Castle Coombe this year. The only incident was in practice, when L. J. Barnes overturned his Austin Seven.

 

Cleave’s neat Morris Ten got away well, but Sparrowe’s 1,098-c.c. Morgan “4/4” led all the way, building up a vast lead. French’s blown Austin Seven held Moffat’s blown 750-c.c. M.G. until an indiscretion at a corner, but Meade’s M.G. retired and Moffat’s car fell very sick, just managing third place. Weber’s “Brooklands” Riley retired.

 

1st: J. M. Sparrowe (1,098-c.c. Morgan) … 54.93 m.p.h.

2nd: W. A. Cleave (1,086-c.c. Morris) … 53.74 m.p.h.

3rd: J. Moffat (847-c.c. M.G., s/c.) … 52.98 m.p.h.

 

Hobbs’ blown 1,086-c.c. M.G. led away but soon Jacobs’ well-known M.G. had built up an unassailable lead. Behind Mayers’ ex-Lester M.G. held second place. The Buckler started badly and boiled and Cox’s Dellow, with the ex-Newton Meadows engine, had trouble in the cog department. They seem to have a knack of making Morris cars motor at Bristol for Pearson’s blown Morris Eight held off a “TC” M.G., and Best’s new “TD” M.G. got nowhere.

 

1st: R. W. Jacobs (1,086-c.c. M.G. s/c.) … 64.96 m.p.h.

2nd: J. C. C. Mayers (1,250-c.c. M.G.) … 63.85 m.p.h.

3rd: F. J. A. Hobbs (1,087-c.c. M.G., s/c.) … 59.29 m.p.h.

 

This produced a great scrap between Newton’s “Le Mans” Replica Frazer-Nash and Gee’s ex-Maclure 1½-litre Riley. The Riley led on initial acceleration, Newton passed, but Gee closed up on braking for the corners, and went much faster through Partridge bend. Newton finally won by about a dozen lengths. Way back, another duel was fought between Fisher’s 2-litre Aston-Martin which seemed to motor solely in top gear but which lent better acceleration than Ruddock’s H.R.G., although the latter eventually got by.

 

1st: E. J. Newton (1,971-c.c. Frazer-Nash) … 64.96 m.p.h.

2nd: G. M. Gee (1,496-c.c. Riley) … 64.75 m.p.h.

3rd: G. E. Phillips (1,250-c.c. M.G.) … 62.78 m.p.h.

 

This was run in two heats, and decided on times. In the first, after Brake had left the road in his blown “2.3” Alfa-Romeo and Williams’ 4½-litre Bentley had thrown its rods. Matthews set about catching Cuff’s blown Cuff-special, his Jaguar passing on lap 3. The Cuff began to boil furiously, and Brake’s Alfa was also far too hot. Matthews won from Cuff and Wilson’s 3½-litre Jaguar. In the second heat Little’s 35B Bugatti led for a while, only to fall sick, whereupon Oscar Moore’s O.B.M. began to motor really fast, wearing down the lead established by the Chrysler-engined Cripps Special. Moore took the lead on lap 3 and Cripps had the wretched tuck to have his engine pack up, Hull’s exceedingly impressive Alfa-Romeo coupé promptly annexing second place to cries of “What a road-car!” Freed’s Healey was third and at the back of the field Hay, in white bathing hat and the family 4¼-litre Bentley drophead, finally caught a gallant 3-litre Bentley.

 

1st: O. Moore (1,971-c.c. O.B.M.) … 69.17 m.p.h.

2nd: D. C. B. Hull (1,750-c.c. Alfa-Romeo, s/c.) … 66.70 m.p.h.

3rd: G. E. Matthews (3,486-c.c. Jaguar) … 61.74 m.p.h.

 

This was also run in two heats. In the first Newton’s silver Frazer-Nash, ran away from the field and by a magnificent display of driving attractive Mrs. Nancy Binns brought her Riley up to second place, in spite of nearly losing various cushions on the way. Newton was a thought hard on his gearbox, Little and his Bugatti spent much time ploughing and Pople was wild in his M.G. Cox’s Ford gearbox again objected to the Meadows’ horses, and Gee’s Riley broke a piston. In heat 2 Buckler made no mistakes and drove a steady race, using peak revs. from the corners, to leave all opposition behind, while Pearson, calmness personified, yet cornering his astounding Morris Eight four-seater at its limit, came through to a splendid second.

 

1st: E. J. Newton (1,971-c.c. Frazer-Nash) … 66.10 m.p.h.

2nd: Mrs. N. Binns (1,496-c.c. Riley) … 63.31 m.p.h.

3rd: G. A. Ruddock (1,496-c.c. H.R.G.) … 59.00 m.p.h.

 

Interest was lent by the two Arengos and Joe Fry’s led from lap 2, winning comfortably, passing Brake’s Cooper on the outside at Partridge bend, being repassed, but finally deciding the issue. The other Arengo retired, the Milliunian lost a chain, while Headland’s Cooper took second place after Westcott’s Cooper had retired, spun round but didn’t lose its place.

 

1st: J. G. Fry (Arengo) … 63.31 m.p.h.

2nd: C. Headland (Cooper) … 61.23 m.p.h.

3rd: E. M. Martin (Cooper-H.R.D.) … 61.20 m.p.h.

 

Again, so big was the entry that two heats were run. In heat 1 Buncombe’s H.R.G. led for two laps, then Sparrowe’s Morgan went past and Lyons’ Connaught displaced Pople’s “TC” M.G. in third place for a lap—Lyons was crowded out by Fisher’s Aston-Martin on one corner while trying to pass on the inside, but he really went motoring, to win from Sparrowe and Watkins’ Healey. A varied held, including a crawling “12/50” Alvis, a fine Hotchkiss saloon and a nice “14/40” Deluge, contested heat 2. Cleave’s Morris led Moffat’s M.G. for two laps, then Little’s Bugatti swept into the lead, and a lap later Binns’ “30/98” Vauxhall was second. French again left the road. The whole meeting was well run and jolly good fun.

 

1st: J. Lyons (1,767-c.c. Connaught) … 11 min. 16.00 sec.

2nd: J. M. Sparrowe (1,098-c.c. Morgan) … 11 min. 28.4 sec. 

3rd: J. E. B. Little (2,261-c.c. Bugatti, s/c.) … 11 min. 33.4 sec.